New Warriors consultant Phil Gould has suggested a radical proposal for the 2022 season in the event that his club is forced to spend another whole season in Australia.
On the first episode for the season of Wide World of Sports' Six Tackles With Gus, Gould suggested that each Australian team could take their 2022 home game against the Warriors to a variety of venues in New Zealand, not necessarily Mt Smart Stadium.
"I think the game owes it to them ... it would be a nice gesture to the Warriors from the rest of the competition," Gould told James Bracey.
"Twenty-two or 24 games of rugby league in New Zealand in 2022 would be a great advertisement for the game."
Club boss Cameron George outlined the nuts and bolts of the proposal on the weekend, with the Warriors to 'buy' home games off other clubs to pad out a home-based schedule of NRL matches in 2022.
Gould, who joined the Warriors in an advisory role last year, said it was "only fair" after the sacrifices that the team had made in 2020, and potentially again this year. "It's not just the value of playing at home, it's the connection with their members and their corporate partners ... it's big business."
He also said it was likely that there would once again be no NRL played in Auckland this season.
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"The general feeling is that they've conceded that they will probably be here for the whole season," he said.
Gould said that obviously the team would like to play games in Auckland, but they were well-equipped to deal with another year abroad.
"I think being close to it this time, you get a greater appreciation for what they went through last year," Gould said.
"Obviously they're better prepared this season. Last year it was thrown on them virtually overnight ... it was very difficult for them and their families."
The Warriors consultant said that the club had planned around a number of contingencies - including having two separate training squads before Christmas; one on the NSW south coast and one in New Zealand, which then came together in Tamworth for a month before heading to Gosford.
"If they have to be here for the whole year they're ready to do that. Their families are here, they're all well set up and they're ready to go."
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Club captain Roger Tuivasa-Sheck told Wide World of Sports that a return home would be a welcome surprise.
"I think it's not too bad this time around, we've planned and prepped for it. When we came over we all kind of knew it would be for the long haul.
"If we get to go back home it's a bonus. We've got the confidence that we know what it's about, we're prepared this time around and it's just about enjoying our time here and just being grateful that we've got a job."
It will be Tuivasa-Sheck's last year with the club, after agreeing a deal with the Auckland Blues for 2022 - but he said he was excited to work with new coach Nathan Brown.
"We only got that small stint with Toddy, he brought a lot of resilience and he was tough and just gave us that confidence that we could compete with the big sides," he said.
"Now Browny's come on board and he's more of a great teacher for us, teaching us how we can be great players and great people, that's been the difference."
The club captain said that senior members of the club had been relishing their extended roles as leaders and mentors to the entire squad while they remain camped together.
"Everyone's got their own type of hardships and sacrifices to make, so it's about coming together as a group and it's not just me, there's a lot of boys who enjoy the social work and getting everyone together," he said.
"It's a good time for us to get together and bond and get to know each other and our families."
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